Rebel ex-Labor Senator Fatima Payman’s new party rules out alliance with One Nation
Her brand new political party might be light on detail, but former Labor Senator Fatima Payman’s strategy man knows one thing for sure: no deals with One Nation.
NSW
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Exclusive: Renegade former Labor Senator Fatima Payman’s new political party will not do deals with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation in the latest escalation of tensions between the two senators.
Australia’s Voice, launched by Ms Payman and “preference whisperer” Glenn Druery was launched with much fanfare on Wednesday.
When asked who the party would be willing to work with in parliament, strategy man Mr Druery said he would not rule out any parties except One Nation.
“There will be no deals with One Nation,” he told News Corp Australia.
The decision comes as One Nation leader Ms Hanson this week wrote to the Prime Minister questioning Senator Payman’s eligibility under section 44 of the constitution which notes that dual citizens cannot be members of parliament in Australia.
Ms Payman came to Australia from Afghanistan in 2003 as a child and was granted citizenship in 2005.
She attempted to renounce her Afghan citizenship in 2021 but was left in limbo after the Taliban came to power.
The comments also come after claims Mr Druery was linked to a former party also called Australia’s Voice that was critical of the Islamic practice of sharia law and suggested a potential burqa ban.
Senator Payman’s new party is not expected to take or give any preferences to the Muslim Votes Matter movement because they are not running candidates in the Senate or in marginal seats that Australia’s Voice will target.
Muslim Votes Matter is a movement focused on putting pro-Palestine candidates in safe Labor seats with large Muslim populations.
MVM has been supportive of Ms Payman when she sensationally quit Labor over its handling of the Gaza conflict.
While announcing the party’s name last week, Ms Payman said her policies will be announced in “due course” but said the platform was not limited to more action on Gaza, citing Indigenous affairs as an area she would focus on.
A spokesman for Ms Hanson said: “Why would we do any deals with a Senator whose eligibility is in question.”
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